Machine for stripping and booking tobacco-leaf.



0. HAMMER-STEIN. MACHINE FOR STRIPPING AND BGOKING TOBACCO LEAF.APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 21, 1913.

1,1 33,799. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A TTOR/VE O. HAMMERSTEIN.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING AN]; BOOKING TOBACCO LEAF.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

| Ill 4 Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

WITNESSES Wm ATTORNEYS To all whom it may concern:

s re ra ai men.-

MACHINE non s'rmrrme Ann BOOKING TOBACCO-LEAF.

Be it known that I, OSCAR Hamvmas'rmn,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough ofManhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machines for Stripping and BookingTobacco- Leaf, of which. the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for stripping and booking tobacco. leafand has for its object to provide a machine of this type with a simpleand'eifective stripping mechanism and with an improved booking mechanismadapted to receive the stripped tobacco leaf and book the sa'me in' aneffec tive and continuous manner.

Other objects of my invention will ap: pear from the descriptionhereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in theappended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings inivhich- Figi'lre 1is a side elevation of my improved machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation'thereof; Fig. 3 is a central cross-section of said machine; Fig. 4 is adeta l view partly in section of the stripping mechanism; Fig. 5 is across-section thereof on the 'line 5.5 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of a clutch used in my improved construction.

The stripping mechanism forming part of my improved machine comprisessuperimposed rollers 5 and 6 suitably journaled in the main fra 7 of themachine and preferably in operative connection with each other throughthe medium of pinions 8 and 9. The roller 5 is provided with cutting:niyes 10 spaced from each other while the ioller 6 isprovided with thecutting disk 11 :1 dapted to extend between the knives 10 and eotiperatetherewith to strip the tobacco-leaf in the manner to be more fullvdescribed hereinafter, it being understood that in some cases thearrangement may be reversed and the knives 10-located on the roller 6and the cutting disk -11 on the ioller 5, and further that in eithercase two separate knives may be substituted ,for the disk 11 tocooperate trith the'knives 10. In the illustrated form-stripped-"fromthe leaf with a minimum of an adjusted position. In orderthat the cutting means may at all Specification of Letters Patent.Patentgd ltlar, 3Q, 1915. Application filed November 21, 1913. SerialNo. 802,187.

waste. To this end the rollers 5 and 6 are made in two sections 5*, 5 Gand 6 the sections 5* and 6* being provided with screw threaded stems 5and 6 adapted to screw the sections 5 and 6*. With this constructionknives 10 surround a bushing 12 car ried by the stem 5 and maintainingthe ends of the roller sections 5 and 5 in proper spaced and rigidrelation to each other. A rubber or other yielding ring 13 extends aboutthe bushing 12 between the knives 10 and is surrounded by a metal ring 1for the purpose to be more clearly described hereinafter, suitablewashers 15 being pro- .vided between the knives 10 and the end faces ofthe roller section 5 and 5 if desired. With the construction being described the cutting disk 11 may screw upon tions 5 4? comprises bolts 16and 17 in screwthreaded engagement with the frame 7 and forming abearing about which the roller sections 5", (5 are adapted to rotate,suitable lock nuts 16 and 17*, being provided for securing the boltstimes be kept free and clean and in an operative condition, I mayprovide a receptacle 18 adapted to contain water or other suitableliquid 19 and having its one end provided with a ca 20 and a tubularextension 21. A wick o the like 22 extends through said extension-21into the liquid 19 and is positioned in the receptacle 18 in such ainanner that one end of the wick projects beyond the mouth of thetubular extension 21. The receptacle 18 may further be provided with acap 23 having an opening through which the liquid may be introduced,said opening'being normally closed by means of a. removable stopper 24of any desired type. When in its operative position, the receptacle 18is supported in an inverted position with the 16 and 17 in of the' wick22 or the liquid passing therefrom may simply be relied on to keep thetubular extension 21 extending through a sleeve,25 and the'projectingend of the wick 22 resting upon the cutting disk 11. The sleeve 25 formspart of or is secured to an arm 26 carried by a cross-bar 27 rigidlymounted on an auxiliary frame 7 which is pivoted at 7 upon a main frame7 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In the arrangement shown and described theextension 21 is capable of sliding in the sleeve 25 so that the end ofthe Wick 22 will always be maintained in proper operative engagementwith the cutting disk 11 by the weight of the receptacle 18.

The auxiliary frame 7 is provided with projections 7 through whichadjusting screws 7 extend, the ends of which are adapted to rest uponthe main frame 7 for supporting the front end of said auxiliary frame 7when in its normal position as shown best in Fig. 2.

A separate cleaning orwiping device may be provided for the knives 10 orthe action knives 10 in an operative and clean condition. 7

The booking mechanism as shown in the present illustration of themachine comprises a drum 28 preferably covered with felt or othercushioning material 29 whereby injury to the tobaccoleaf by directcontact with the drum surface during booking is prevented. The drum 28is carried by a shaft 30 or may be simply provided with trunnionsextending from opposite end faces, the said shaft or trunnions as thecase may be, being journaled in arms 31 referably connected by across-bar 32 to orm a rigid frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These arms31 are'pivoted at 33 upon the main frame 7 so that said drum 28 iscapable of a swinging movement toward and away from the cuttingmechanism comprising the rollers 5 and 6 for the purpose to be moreclearly described hereinafter. A pair of endless belts or aprons 34 passaround the drum 28 and around the roller 5""at oppositte sides of thecutters 10 and further pass over rollers 35 and 36 journaled onthe mainframe 7,

Said belts or aprons also pass around a roller 37 and over guide rollers38 rotatably mounted on the auxiliary frame 7*, the rollers 38 beingpreferably provided ,with fianges 38 for maintain ng said belts oraprons in constant paths. In order that the belts or aprons 34 may atall times be maintained under tension or in proper operative relation tothe drum, I conduct the said belts or aprons over a tension roller39-preferably flanged in the same manner as the rollers 38 and journaledupon bell crank levers 40 pivoted at 40' upon a main frame 7. Links '41are suspended from'tne said bell cranks and serve to support a cross bar42 on which one or more weights are detachably hung for .start themachine.

maintaining the tension roller 39 against the said aprons 34 to keepthem always under the required tension. In addition to this, the saidaprons 34, if desired, may pass over rollers 44- and 45 arranged torotate about the pivots 7 b and 41. A sprocket wheel 46 is fixed uponthe drum shaft 30 and is connected by means of a sprocket chain 47tained in its retracted position against the tension of the spring 52 bymeans of a member 53 pivoted at 54 upon the main frame 7 and having aninclined cam face 55 nor-. mally extending into a circumferential groove56 formed on the clutch member 49 and engaging a lug 51 of the plunger51. The member 53 is operatively connected by means of a link 57 with atreadle 58 pivoted at 59 upon the main frame 7 and normally held in itsraised position by means of a spring 60 connected with the member 53 andwhereby the free end of the latter is also maintained in the groove 56.'A second clutch member 61 is fixed upon the driving shaft 50 and isprovided with diametrically opposite pro ections 62 adapted to codperatewith the plunger 51 to couplethe clutch member 49 with the member '61and driving shaft 50 when the treadle 58 is actuated to If desired atension roller 63Zmounted on a member 64 pivoted at 65 upon one arm 31and under the influence of a spring 66 may be provided for taking up anyslack in the sprocket chain 47.and for insuring a perfect operative adjustment thereof at all times. 4

With the clutch mechanism and gearing so far described and shown, thedrum 28'is given a half revolutioneach time the treadle 58 is actuatedand is then automatically brought to a standstill as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter; If no other control of the drum than this isdesired, a belt pulley 67 may be fixed upon the driving shaft 50 and maybe driven from any desired source to actuate the shaft 50 and connectedmechanism. Under certain conditions, however, it may be found ofadvantage to. stop therotative movement of the drum 28 at,

.mal condition operatively connects the said pulley 67 with the shaft50. This clutch 68' is controlled by means of a collar 69- slidablymounted on the shaft 50, but adapted to rolows: After the driving shaft50 has been set in motion through the medium of the pulley 67 and it isdesired-to start the machine, the treadle 58 is depressed by foot poweror otherwise to. swing the member 53 on its pivot 51 and thus withdrawthe cam face from the groove 56 and out of engagement with theprojection 51*. The plunger 51 havingby this operation been freed fromrestraint will be moved outwardly under the influence of the spring 52into the path of the projections 62 on the clutch member 61. fast on theshaft 50 will move one of the projections 62 into engagement with theprojecting plunger 51 and thus operatively connect the sprocket 48 andconnected mechanism with the driving shaft 50. The movement of thesprocket 48 will be transmitted to the sprocket 4:6 by means of thechain 47 and will thus bring about a rotation of the drum 28 and anactuation of the belts or aprons 8:: which latter in turn, serve torotate the roller 5 and through the medium of the gears-8 and 9 alsoactuate the roller 6. It is to be understood that pressure on thetreadle 58 is immediately removed after the machine has been started asdescribed, so that the treadle 58 is immediately returned to normalposition under the influence of the spring 60 and the cam face 55 isconsequently moved back into the groove 56, in which it is locatedduring the rotation of the clutch member 49 as described. Tt will thusbe seen that at the end of one complete revolution of the member 49 thelug 51- will be returned intoengagement. with said cam face 55 and movedback thereby to return the plunger 51 to its initial position out of thepath of the projections 62 and in consequence the clutch member 4.9 willbe disconnected from the clutch member 61. In this manner the rotationof the drum 28 is automatically stopped, periodically, the illus- Thisclutch member 61 being felted be desired. If for any reason it shouldbecome ngcessary to bring the drum to a standstill before the automaticstoppage thereof is brought about as described, the treadle 72 isdepressed and maintained in this condition as long as the operatordesires the said drum 98 to remain at rest. The actuation of the treadle72 will rock the bell crank 7 0 and will consequently move the collar 69to the left in Fig. 2 and permit the arms of the clutch (38 to movetoward the shaft 50 under spring action or otherwise and thus releasesaid clutch 68 from operative engagement with the pulley 67. This pulleybeing loose on the shaft50 will in this condition of the parts rotateidly, without in any way affecting the shaft 50. As soon as the pressureis removed from the treadle 72the spring 7% will immediately return itto normal position and through a reverse operation of the bell crank 70will move the collar 69 back toward the right in Fig. 2 and inconsequence again operatively connect the clutch 68 with the pulley 67to again drive the shaft 50 During the operation of the machine thetobacco leaf 4; which is to be' stripped and booked is introducedbetween the rollers 5 and 6, the stem being located opposite thecooperating knives 10 and cutting disk 11 and the remainder of the leafbeing opposite the sections 5 6*, 5 6 of said rollers at opposite sidesof the cutting knives 10 and cutting disk 11. As the said leaf is fed between the rollers it will be cut, through the coiiperation of the knives10 with opposite faces of the diskill, along opposite edges of the stem,thus cutting the stem out of the leaf or stripping the same as will beclearly apparent from an inspection of the draw mal condition will exertafpressure on the stripped stem and will force it from between theknives 10 thus preventing said 14: as otherwise would be the case. Atany time during its passagethrough the rollers 5 and 6 I the operationof the machine may be checked as'before stated by simply depressing thetreadle 72 in order to give straighten. out the leaf or to otherwiseadjust the same for proper feeding between said rollers 5 and 6; Fromthe rollers 5 and 6 the severed portions of the leaf a pass downwardlybetween the aprons 34 and the surface 29 of the drum 2-8, the

ice

The a stem from becoming wound about the ring the operator anopportunity to unfold or stripped stem simply dropping between the beltsor aprons 3 1 to the floor or to a suitable receptacle. In this mannerthe severed portions of the leafare finally removed from the rollers 5and 6 and become deposited uponthe drum 28 between the surface thereofand the respective aprons or belts 3i after which the movement of thedrum is automatically arrested as hereinbefore set forth. After thetreadle 58 has been again actuated a second leaf is introduced betweenthe rollers 5 and 6 to strip in the .same'manner as described and isfinally deposited on the drum 28 in the same manner, the sections of thetwo leaves being located behind eachother on the drum as shown in Fig.3. A third leaf which may not be stripped and fed forward in the mannerset forth will become deposited on the first leaf on the drum, while afourth will become deposited upon the second and so on, two separatepairs of bookings of stripped tobacco leaf being in this manner builtupon the drum at diametrically opposite points between the surfacethereof and each belt or apron 34. As the leaf accumulates or is bookedin the manner described the aprons 34 will gradually move away from theperiphery of the drum 28, the bell cranks 40 with the roller 39 swingingon the pivot ll to allow for this yielding movement of the said aprons.The said aprons will, at all times and during all adjustments thereof asthe booking proceeds, be maintained underproper tension by means of theweights 43. At the same time as the bookings increase in thickness orsize, the booked leaf will exert a pressure toward the front of themachine and also toward the rear thereof against the drum 28, whichpressure will cause the arms 31 to swing on the pivots 33'and the drum28 in consequence to move away from the rollers 5 and 6. The drum 28thus automatically adjusts itself to accommodate books of any thicknesswithin its range of operation, the books being at all times firmly heldon the drum by the aprons and the leaf consequently protected againstinjury. When the desired thickness of book has been secured theauxiliary frame 7 is raised about its pivot 7 to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, a stop 7 being provided to limit the saidswinging movement of said auX1l iary frame 7*. After 'the auxiliaryframe 7 has been moved as described the first palr of-books may bereadily removed from the drum 28 after which, the drum is rotated tobring the second pair of books into a pos tion of ready accessibility,after whlch this second pair of books may also be easily removed. Theauxiliary frame 7 may then be swung back into its former position toagain make the machine ready for further operation,- the various partsautomatlcally and properly adjusting themselves during become out oforder.

these manipulations. It will be seen that the tensioning device 63-454permits the chain 47 to properly adjust itself during the swingingof-the drum 28 on the pivots 33 so gas to be at all times in properoperative connection with the sprockets 46 and 48.

' It is, of course, to be understood that the If it is desired'to striptobacco leaf in Y which the stems are narrow, the sections 5 and 6 ofthe rollers 5 and 6 may bedisconnected from the sections 5 and 6 andremoved from the machine by a proper manipulation of the bolts 16 and17, after which a narrow cutting disk 11 may be positioned on the stem 6and thenarrow bushing 12,collar 13, and collar 14 placed upon the stem5, the knives l0 beingin this manner brought closer together toeproperly cooperate with the narrowed cutting disk 11, after which thesections 5 and G -may be again connected with the sections 5 and 6 andthe bolts 16 and 17 again properly adjusted. Similarly a wider cuttingdiskll with the knives 10 properly arranged may be inserted if desired.With this construction waste of tobacco leaf is at all times avoided andnarrow and wider stems are stripped from the tobacco leaf with equalfacility.

In the preferred construction as shown the drum 28 is so mounted as tohave a tendency at all times to swing toward the front of the machine ortoward the rollers 5 and 6 by its own weight and thus even when fullyloaded with booked tobacco leaf to be,

prevented from dropping backward toward the rear of the machine. Thisarrangement avoids the necessity for using springs or analogous devicesfor securing. this result. It will be obvious that the strippingmechanism might be used independently of the present booking mechanism,which latter as will be apparent is also capable of independent use.

My improved machine is extremely sim: ple in operation and constructionand is easily operated or controlled by unskilled labor and is notlikely to be disarranged or Various changes in the; specific form shownand described may be made within the scope of the claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. i

Iclaimz i 1.- A machine of the kind describedcomprising means for\feedingftobacco leaf, relatively stationary-bearings for "said feedingmeans, cutting means carried by said feed n means for removing the stemfrom thellea booking means adapted to. receive the stripped leaf fromsaid feeding means and ting means connected with said feedin means forremoving the stem from the lea booking means adapted to receive thestripped leaf from said feeding means and automatically adjustablerelatively thereto as the booking proceeds, a device for Wiping saidcutting means and mechanism for actuating said means.

A machine of the kind described comprising rollers adapted to feedtobacco leaf,

' cooperating cutting devices carried by each 20, said leaf, a rotatablebooking drum, an apron of said rollers for removing the stem frompassing about said drum'and one of said rollers and coiiperating withsaid drum to receive thestripped leaf from said rollers and book thesame, a movable support for said drum whereby the latter is moved awayfrom the rollers by the pressure of the booked leaf toward the latter asthe booking proceeds, means for maintaining said apron under tension.and arranged to permit a movement thereof away from the surface of thedrum as the books increase in thickness and mechanism for actuating saiddrum and A rollers.

l. A machine of the kind described com-- prising a main frame, rollersjournaled thereon and adapted to feed tobacco leaf, cooperating cuttingdevicescarried by said rollers for removing the stem from said leaf, anauxiliary frame pivotally connected with said main frame and movable toan inoperative position, guide rollers on said main frame, additionalguide rollers on said auxiliary frame, a booking drum rotatably mountedon said main frame, an apron passing about said drum and one of saidfeed rollers and over sa1d guide rollers and cooperating with said drumto receive the stripped leaf from-the feed rollers and book the same, asupport for said drum pivoted on said main frame, whereby said drum ismoved away from the feed rollers by the pressure of the booked leaftoward the latter as the'booking proceeds, means arranged to permit saidapron to move away from the surface of said drum as the books increasein thickness and adapted to maintain said apron under tension at alltimes and support, a pair of rollers mounted on said -support and eachcomprising two detach ably connected sections, cutting devices car 'riedby said rollersi between the sections rie by one roller between thesections there- I thereof and'detachably clamped in position by saidsections, and mechanism for actuating said rollers.

6. In a machine of the kind described, a support, a pair of rollersmounted on said support and each comprising twodetachconnected sections,a cutting disk carof and detachably clamped in position by saidsections, cutting knives carried by the other roller between thesections thereof and in contact with opposite faces of said cutting diskand detachably clamped in position by said sections and means ing saidrollers.

7. ln a machine of the kind described, a support, a pair of rollersections rotatably mounted on said support and each provided with ascrew-threaded aperture, a second pair of roller sections removablymounted b on said support and eachprovided with a screw-threaded stemadapted to cooperate with each aperture to connect the roller sectionstogether, a cutting-disk mounted on oneof said stems and clamped betweenthe endsof the first roller sections, a pair of cutting knives 'on thesecond stem in contact with opposite faces (if said cutting disk, a ringsurrounding said bushing between said knives and capable of a movementfor actuat- I transverse to the common axis thereof, and 7 .means foractuating said rollers.

8. in a machine \of the kind described, a support, a pair of,rollersections rotatably mounted on said support and each provided with ascrew-threaded aperture, a second pair of rollersections removablymounted on said support and each provided with a screw-threaded stemadapted to cooperate with each aperture to connect the roller sectionstogether, a cutting disk mounted on one of said stems and clampedbetween the ends of the first roller-sections, a bushing on the otherstem, a pair of cutting knives on said bushing in contact with oppositefaces of said cutting disk, a rigid ring between said knivesfor spacingthem apart, a medient ring surrounding said bushing between said knivesand inside of said rigid ring whereby the latter is permitted to yieldtransversely of the axis of said roller and is returned to normalposition and means for actuating said rollers.

9.. In a machine of the kind described, a support, a pair of rollersmounted on said support and each comprising two detachably connectedsections, acutting disk carried by. one roller and detachably clamped inposition bythe sections thereof, cutting knives carried by the otherroller in contact with opposite faces of said cutting disk anddetachably clamped in position by .the sectionsof said rollers,resilient means between said knives adapted to be placed under tensionto exert a pressure transversely of the other, means cooperating withsaid knives for stripping the stem from the tobacco leaf, a resilientring between said knives adapted to be placed under tensionby the stemas the leaf is fed forward and to remove the stripped stem from betweensaid knives and a means for actuating said knives and-cutting means.

12. In cutting means whereby the stem is stripped from the leaf,resilient means adapted to remove the stripped stem from said cuttingmeans, a booking device adapted to receive the stripped leaf, a pivotedsupport for said device whereby the latter is automatically moved awayfrom said cutting means as the booking proceeds and means for actuatingsaid booking device and cutting means.

13. In a machine of the kind described, cutting means whereby the stemis stripped from the leaf, resilient meansadapted to remove the strippedstem, from said cutting means, a drum adapted to receive the strippedleaf, a pivoted support for said a machine of the kind described,

drum whereby the latter is automatically moved away from saidcuttingmeans as the booking proceeds, an apron surrounding said drum andcooperating therewith-to book the leaf, said apron being connected withsaid cutting means whereby a rotative movement of said drum iscommunicated to said cutting means and means for actuating said drum.

14. In a machine of the kind described rotatable cutting knives spacedfromeach other, means cooperating with said knives for stripping thestem from the tobacco leaf, a resilient ring between said knives adaptedtov be placed under tension by the stem and to remove the stripped stemfrom between said knives, a drum adapted to receive the stripped leaf, apivoted support ,for saiddrum whereby the latter is automatically movedaway from said cutting knives as the booking proceeds, an apronsurrounding said drum and cooperating therewith to book the leaf, saidapron being operatively connected with said cutting knives whereby arotative movement of said drum is communicated to said cutting knivesand cooperating means and means for actuating said drum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

OSCAR HAMMERSIEIN. Witnesses: JOHN A. KEHLENBEGK, G. V. RAsMUssEN.

